For many years, pleasure boating has been something that is enjoyed by a vast number of people from all walks of life. It is well known that the pleasure boating industry has evolved into a significant segment of the economy, and it is not at all uncommon for families to own boats of many different types. Depending upon the personal interests of a boat owner, it is possible to own any of a variety of different types of boats.
More specifically, it is commonly known that boating enthusiast run the gamut from fisherman to power boaters to sailors. It is typically the case, however, that regardless of the particular interest of a boat owner, the fact is that any pleasure boat represents a substantial investment which usually ranges into many thousands of dollars. As a result, most boat owners are motivated to protect their boats not only because of pride, but also from an investment viewpoint.
Despite these motivating factors, the boat owner will in many cases be in a situation where the boat must actually be beached on a gravel, sand, mud, or rocky shoreline. This is particularly common, for instance, where docks are not readily available for use such as where the boat is beached in an uninhabited area of a river or lake for picnicking, camping, and trailering, as well as in many fishing environments and the like. When this is encountered, the keel and/or hull of a boat; particularly in the commonly V-shaped bow area, can easily be damaged from abrasion and/or impact with the shoreline surface.
Still additionally, these areas of a boat, i.e., the keel and/or hull, can be damaged after beaching while the boat is parked. It is typical in this connection to moor a boat on a beach by tying off the bow of the boat by using an eyebolt and rope to secure the bow of the boat to a permanent object such as a tree or the like, and the stem of a boat may be held against swinging around onto the shoreline by means of anchors. While this may acceptably secure the boat, a current and/or waves may cause rocking and/or movement relative to the shoreline.
Without protection, this movement of the bow of a boat is known to cause damage thereto. The back-and-forth or rocking movement of the bow relative to a sand, gravel, mud, or rocky shore, regardless of whether the hull is formed of fiberglass, metal, or wood, causes scratching of the surface at best which depreciates the value of the boat. At worst, the relative movement of the bow on the shoreline can be a source of structural damage.
As will be appreciated, this can occur where the boat is beached on the shoreline in a storm or other adverse conditions. The wave action and/or wind force can cause such violent rocking motion, particularly on a gravel or rocky shoreline, that it is actually capable of wearing a hole through the hull in extreme cases. Clearly, this type of damage is costly and greatly diminishes the value of the boat thereby eroding the owner's investment.
In view of the foregoing, there is a significant need to be able to protect the keel and/or hull of a boat in a beaching circumstance.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the foregoing problems and achieving one or more of the resulting objects.